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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. track — a song
  4. degree — an amount
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pound — a weight
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. track — a path
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rock — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. degree — temperature
  16. track — to keep track
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rock — a stone
  20. land — a country
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. land — ground
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com